Team Obama took steps to protect intel on Team Trump's Russian Federation ties

Author: Sonia Alvarado Mar 03, 2017,

Mar 03, 2017, 0:55

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Trump's repeated denials that his campaign had contact with Russian officials and his suggestion that U.S. spy agencies made up intelligence regarding Russia's election hacking, led to fears in Obama's administration that the intelligence would be covered up or destroyed, the Timesreported. That includes any intelligence regarding links between Russian Federation and individuals associated with political campaigns. What was the U.S. Government's response to these Russian active measures and what do we need to do to protect ourselves and our allies in the future?

At intelligence agencies, there was a push to process as much raw intelligence as possible into analyses, and to keep the reports at a relatively low classification level to ensure as wide a readership as possible across the government - and, in some cases, among European allies. The position, created after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, involves coordination of the 16 USA intelligence agencies.

Dan Coats is President Trump's choice to be the next director of national intelligence, the nation's top intelligence job.

Earlier on Wednesday, Nunes told Fox News that the committee would receive a briefing from intelligence officials on Thursday.

"I have been reassured time and time again, from the president to his advisors, that I am welcome and needed and expected to be a part of the principals committee", Coats told the Senate body reviewing his nomination.

Warner also said he expects Coats cooperate fully with the committee's Russia probe, including any "inappropriate" contacts that individuals associated with Trump may have had with the Russians. Burr should have let Trump's people know that.

The scandal about contact between Trump associates' and Russian Federation has shown little sign of relenting since the CIA, FBI and the director of national intelligence, concluded that Russian Federation intervened in the 2016 in part with the aim of getting Mr Trump into the White House. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate intelligence panel, acknowledged that he talked to reporters at the New York Times and CNN about stories alleging "repeated" or "constant" contact between members of Trump's campaign team and Russian officials.

The three administration officials who confirmed that White House staffers were instructed to comply did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the counsel's office memo publicly.

The involvement of North Carolina Senator Richard Burr and California Representative Devin Nunes has sparked calls - mostly from Democrats - for a special prosecutor to investigate Russia's role in the election and possible ties to Trump.

The former advisers have all denied having contact with Russian officials during the campaign.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on March 1 that the Kremlin has "heard different statements from President [Donald] Trump".

There is a palpable fear in United States intelligence of being marginalized or pushed out as retaliation for assessing Russia's interference in the 2016 election for Trump's benefit.

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